Method and apparatus for rolling metal



March 10, v1925.

A. MARTIN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING METAL,

INVENQ'OR /l afifiu 70} A4 A W.

A emu March 10, 1925.

A. MARTIN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING METAL Filed May 26 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ma'mh 10, 1925.

A. MARTIN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING METAL Filed May 26, 1922 FIG. 5

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 6

G. mg m\ m OnR/V M ow HHh H .rmufl W H v .w ZL 1 m W3 m E 8 V O 5 m l I 4- l. 2 w. W/aQwI 8I.HHH M o 4 o Patented Mar. .10, 1925.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

manna MARTIN, or rrnsmmen, PENNSYLVANIA.

um'non mm Arnmrrus roe BOLLTNG mun.

Application filed lay 26,

, To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, ARTHUR MARTIN, a citizen ofthe United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and I State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods and Apparatus for Rolling Metal; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof. a

My invention relates to the art of .roll ing metal, and it has special reference to the manufacture of tapered discs for auto mobile wheels and for other purposes.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved method of rolling metal wherein the formation of surface scale is reduced or entirely prevented by surrounding the metal with a nonoxidizing or reducing atmosphere during the rolling 0 2 eration, and wherein the metal may e heated while being rolled.

Another object of my invention is to rovide a rolling mill for tapered discs w ich shall be of simple and rugged construction' and shall employ frusto-conical rolls mounted and operated in an improved manner.

My improved rolling mill consists oftwo frusto-conical rolls mounted on shafts which preferably are mounted upright withtheir axes of rotation in a'common vertical plane, and having cam-operated means for feeding one of the rolls toward the other during the rolling operation. The movable roll is mounted in a novel manner for rocking upon. anaxis which isso arranged that the rocking movement of the .roll shaftcauses the movable roll to approach and recede from the fixed roll in asubsta'ntially straight path. The upper roll bearings and the cam mechanism for feeding the movable roll are all mounted in a rigid yoke of. novel construction. The blank to be rolled is mounted on a mandrel within a'housing which opens to ruzeive and discharge the blanks, and is closed during the rolling operation, and I provide means for exhaustin the air from the interior of the housin an also. if desired, for heating the interior of the housing near the periphery of the blank so as to produce non-oxidizin' conditions within the housing, and also'to eat the edfi of the blank which is the portion whic cools most ra idly.

The general features just mentioned, to

1922. Serial No. 563,877.

- nether with other novel devices which con tribute to the perfect operation of the machine, are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side View, partly inelevation and partly in section of a complete rolling mill constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the blank housing closed and a pair of blanks at the end of the rolling operation; Fig. 2 is an end elevational'view of the same machine,

partly in section on the line 2+2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a. view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of one-half of the blank housing; Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the machine, with parts in section, showing the blank housing open; Fig. 5 is a plan viewof the machine; Fig. 6 is another plan view, with the blank housing and its attachments removed; Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the bottom closure plate for the blank housing; Fig. 8 is a detail vertical' sectional view taken substantially on the line 8-8, Fig. 7-; Fig. 9 is another detail vertical section taken substantially on the line 99, Fig. 7 Fig. 10*is a longitudinal sectional view taken axially through one of the rolls, showing the manner in which the roll is attached to its shaft; Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view taken" axially through the blank-supporting mandrel and its attachments; Fig. 1.2 is a. fragmentary sectional view showing one of the blank guide rollers; and Fig.- 13 is a diagrammatic side View of the roll-operating cam and the cam-roller.

In the drawing the numeral 2. indicates a rectangular base frame having depending ribs 3 which are spaced from the edges of thebase 2 to form flanges 4; upon which the mill-may be supported upon a floor or other stationary support. Hangers 6 are formed beneath the base 2 and sup rt bearings 7 for a drive shaft 8 which is di iven from any suitable source ofpower, not .shown, and which carries bevel gear wheels 9 and 10 meshing with bevel gear wheels 11 and 12- that are secune'd to the lower ends of inclined roll shafts 13 and 14 to the upper ends of which are secured frusto-conical rolls 15 and 16.

anism, and also supports a housing composed of separable sections 19 and 20 in which the blanks are enclosed while being rolled. c

The roll shaft 13 is mounted in a. bearing block which is supported on a pivot pin 26 carried by a slide 27 that is movable for adjustment on suitable'ways formed in the base 2 and may be secured in its adjusted position by means of bolts28. The heating block 25 is formed at its upper end with a half-bearing 29 which is constructed like one-half of a mill-bearing of ordinary construction, and is also formed near its lower end with a half-bearing 30 which forms one- 7 half of a roller thrust hearing. The mill hearing at the upper end of this shaft is completed by a removable half-bearing 31 which is secured to the half-bearing 29 by means of bolts 32. The roller thrust bearing at the lower end of the shaft is similarly completed by means of a. removable half 1 bearing 33 secured to the bearing 30 by means of bolts 34. The angular position of the bearing block 25 is fixed by-means of set-screws 35, Fig: 4, which extend through projections 36 formed on opposite sides of the yoke 17 and which bear against the sides of the bearino' block 25.-

The sliding movementof the slide 27, and the angular movement of the bearing block 25 around its pivot 26, permits the roll shaft 1.3 to loe adjusted at the beginning of a rolling operation, after which this roll shaft is fixed in position by means of the bolts 28 and the set screws 35. Wedges 37 and 37 are provided to give a fine adjustment of the angle of inclination of the roll shaft 13. j

The roll shaft 14 is mounted in a hearing block 40 which, like the bearing block 25, is provided with an upper mill bearing 41 and a lower roller thrust bearing 42. The

bearing block 40 is supported upon a forked yoke 43 in the lower ends of which are formed bearings 44 which receive the ends of a pivot shaft 45 which is supported in bearings 46 carried by one of the hangers 6 of the frame. By this construction the roll shaft 14 and the roll 16 are permitted to swing around the axis of the pin 45, and since this axis is disposed a considerable distance directly below the roll 16 this roll moves toward and away from the roll 15 in a patlr which is nearly a straight line.

The upper mill bearings of the roller shafts 13 and 14 are rectangulau and fit within the rigid yoke 17, as best shown on Fig. 6. For the purpose of feeding the movable roll 16 toward the fixed roll 15 and for moving the roll 16 away from the roll 15 after the rolling operation is completed, the bearing 41 of the movable roll 16 is provided with two extensions 50 in which is journaled a heavy pivot pin 51 messes carrying a roller 52 which engages the periphery of a-cam 53 mounted on a shaft 54 that is supported in hearings in a block tating the cam shaft 54 to produce the proper feed of the roll 16. The worm wheel.

58 meshes with a worm 59 carried by a shaft 61 which is mounted in bearings 60 on the under side of the block 55. The shaft 61 also carries a bevel gear 62 meshing with a bevel gear 63 on the upper end of a vertical shaft 64 which is mounted in fixed bearings 65 supported upon one of the standards 18, and carries at its lower end a bevel gear 66 meshing with a bevel pinion 67 on the armature shaft 68 of an electric motor 69 which is mounted on a fixed bracket 70. a

An adjustable wedge 71 is interposed between the block 55 and the end of the rigid yoke 17. It will thus be observed that when the rolls 15 and 16 are operating to roll blanks betwccn'them, all of -the horizontal. rolling thrust is taken up by the ends ofthe rigid .yoke 17, and that this yoke, in addition, prevents lateral displacement of the rolls through the close fit of the upper roll bearings in the yoke.

'Fig.. 10 shows the manner in which the rolls 15 and 16 are attached to the upper ends of their respective shafts. As shown in this figure, the upper end of theshaft 13 is provided with a flange 75 above which is a squared portion 76 of reduced area at the base of a conically tapered end portion 77 which is tapped to receive a stud bolt 78. The roll 15 fits over the squared and conical portions 76 and 77 and is provided with a countersunk opening to receive the stud bolt 78.

The housing which encloses the blanks during the rolling operation is composed.

as stated above, of separable sections 19 and 86 which are bolted to similar flanges87 extending from the upper end of an arched casting 88. The lower ends of the arched casting 88 are formed into flanges 89 which are slidably received beneath gibs 90 that are secured to the upper surface of the yoke 17. The casting 88 also carries a tubular mandrel bearing 91. Beneath the mandrel bearing9l the end of the hollow casting 88 is closed by means of a web 92 in which is secured an eye-bolt 93 to which is attached a wire rope 94, or other suitable flexible connector, which extends over a fixed pulley 95 mounted in bearings 96 and serves to suspend a weight 97 whichtends to draw the movable housing section,20 away from thefixed section 19. WVhen the cam 53 permits such movement to occur, the movable roll 16 is caused to move with the housing section 20. For this purpose the extension the movable housing section 20.

from-the upper roll bearing 41 is provided with a pin 98, the ends of which project beyond the bearing extension 50 and are flattened to rest against a flat plate 99 which is carried by the sliding casting 88.

The housings 1.9 and 20 cooperateto form a circular space which encloses the'blanks B while the blanks are being rolled. For this purpose the housing sections 19 and 20 are provided With opposed flanges 100 and 101,- respectively, and the flange 101 is provided with an extension 102 which telescopes within the flange 100. Opposed ribs 103 are formed on the inner sides of the housing sections 19 and 20 and cooperate with the flanges, 100 and 101 to form a heating chamber within which are disposed two curved burners 104 which are supplied withfuel gas or oil, and with air for combustion, through pipe connections 105. The. flanges 103 retain most of the heat from the burners 104 at the peripheral portions of the blanks and prevent overheating of the hub. portions and of the mandrel on which the blanks are supported.

As shown in the drawing, two or more of the blanks B are rolled simultaneously, but while this is the most economical method the blanksmay evidently be rolled one at a time, if desired. During the rolling operation the blank or pair of=blanks is supported on-a mandrel 110, thedetails of construction of which are omitted from. the general views 1 and 4 for the sake of clearness. Asshown in Fig. 11, the mandrel is formed on the end of'a screw-tlireaded extension 110 from a shaft 112 which is mounted in the tubular bearing91 o'f A mandrcl hub 111 is screwed upon the threaded shaft extension 110* and rests against a plate 111. The mandrel 110 moves horizontally with the housing section 20, and when in the working position shown on Figs. 1 and 11 extends into a recess 113 formed in the end of a screw-threaded extension 113 from a shaft 116 which is received in the tubular bearing 84 carried by the fixed housing secrests against the plate ings or roller bearings 117 and 118 respectively, and are rotated by the blank 3 as the blank is turned through its engagement between the rolls 15 and 16.

For the purpose of cooling the mandrel hub-s 111 and 115, these hubs are provided with annular chambers 120 and 121, respec tively. The annular chamber 120 communis cates through passages 122 with a horizontal passage 123 formed in the shaft 112 and communicating with a similar passage 124 formed in a reduced extension 125 from the shaft 112. A tube 126 is screwed into the end of the reduced shaft. section 125 and extends rotatably through a gland 127 which is supported in a fixed standard 128 and is provided with a tapped opening to which a pipe 129 is attached for supplying or rmovingcooling fluid.

The chamber- 121 in the mandrel hub 115 communicates through inclined passages 130 with a horizontal passage 131 formed in' 135 which is carried by a fixed standard 136 and is provided with a tapped opening to which a pipe 137 is connected for supplying or removing fluid. A sliding rod 138 extends through the passages 131, and 132 and through the tube 134 and projects into the recess 113 adjacent to the mandrel 110. This rod carries a valve member 139 which is contained in a recess 140 formed in the gland 135 and which is adapted to close the end of the tube 134. A spring 141 tends to force the valvemember 139 against the end of the tube 134 and thus prevents fluid from flowing through the cooling system except when the rod 138 is moved to the left. Fig. 11. by the. mandrel 110. Such movement of the rod 138 carries the valve mem her 139 to the left against the compression of the spring 141 and opens the tube 134 for the flow of cooling fluid.

Communication between the cooling chambers 120 and 121 is effected by means. of passages142 and 143. The passages 142 place the chamber 121 in communication with the recess 113 which is made deeper than the mandrel 110, while the passages 143 place the annular chamber 120 in communication with the recess 113. If the pipe 137 is connected to a source of water or -other cooling fluid. the water cannot flow past the valve member 139 until the mandrel 110 pushesthe' rod 138 and thevalve member 139 to the left. whereupon the water flows through the tube 134, the passages 132. 131 and passages 130 to the annular chamber 121 and thence through the passages 142 to the recess 113 and from this recess through the passages 143 to the annular chamber 120-. From the chamber 120 the water flows through the passages 122, 123, 124 and the tube 126 to the outlet pipe 129.

The housing sections 19 and 20 cooperate with each other and with the roll shaft hearings to form a substantially air-tight enclosure, the bottom of which is closed by means of a plate 145, Figs. 1, 3, 4, 7, S, and 9. The plate 145 is bolted to the under side of the casting 17 by means of bolts which extend through'openings 146 shown in Fig. 7, and is provided with a screw-threaded tubular outlet 147 which may be connected to a blower or other suitable suction means for exhausting the air from the housing while the metal is being rolled. The suction thus applied also draws away any scale or dirt that may be dislodged from the metal during rolling, and thus prevents fouling of the gears or the other operating mechanism. In order to keep the lower portion of the housing closed while the rolls are separated, the plate 145 carries a slide 148, the right-hand edge of which bears against the under side of the movable bearing block 40. As shown in Fig. 7, the slide 148 is provided with parallel slots 149 through which extend stud bolts 150 received in the plate 145. The plate 145 and the slide 148 are provided with semi-circular recesses forming spring seats 151 in which are received compression springs 152. The rear or lower ends of the spring 152, as shown in Fig. 9, rest against projections 153 which are carried by the plate 145 and which arereceived in extensions from the spring-seat recesses in the slide 148. The upper or forward end of each spring 152 rests against a shoulder 155 formed in' the sliding plate 148. The springs 152 thus tend to force the slide to the right as seen in the drawing. and when the bearing block 40 is rocked around the axis 45 to withdraw theroll 16 from the roll 15. the slide 148 follows the bearing block and keeps the under side of the blank housing closed.

For the purpose of properly positioning the blanks with respect to the mandrel 110, I provide two rods 160 which extend slidably through openings in the rear of the housing casting 83 and are attached to levers 161 which depend from a rock shaft 162 that is mounted. in fixed bearings 163. One end of therock shaft 162 carries a lever 164' ries a lever 174. The lever 174 carries a cam roller 175 running upon the periphery of the small cam 57 which, as stated above, is

hen the cam 57 moves the cam roller 175 to the left, Fig. 1, this movement is communicated through the lever 174, the rock shaft 173, the lever 172, and the pin 171 to move the rod 167 to the right, Fig. 1, compressing the spring 176. This movement is communicated through the fork 166, lever 164, rock shaft 162 and levers 161 to move the rods 160 to the right, Fig. 1, thus bringing the inner ends of these rods into position to receive the next blank or pair of blanks that is to be rolled. The inner ends of the rods 160 are provided with notches in order to engage the edges of the blanks, and are so positioned that when the blank or pair of blanks rests upon the two rods .160 the central opening in the blank or pair of blanks is in proper position to admit the mandrel For the purpose of removing the finished discs from the mandrel 110 after the rolling operation, I provide two stationary pins 180 which are adjustably carried by fixed stahdards 181 that are bolted to the gibs 90, as shown in Fig. 2. and are connected by means of a stirrup 1 82. These rods 180 extend through openings in the movable housing section 20 in proper position to engage the discs and prevent them from moving further with the mandrel 110 as the mandrel moves to the right in the drawing.

The mandrel shaft 112, with its roller bearing 117, is so arran ed as to slide to a limited extent within t e tubular bearing casting 91, and is normally forced to the left by means of a compression sprin 185 which is contained within an enlarge extension 186 of the tubular bearing 91. ()ne end of the spring 185 rests against the end of the mandrel roller bearing 117 and the other end of the spring 185 is adjustably compressed by means of a plug 187 which is screwed into the end of the bearing extension 186 and is provided with a hand wheel 188. The plug is suitably bored to receive the water-cooling attachments shown in Fig. 11. By turning the hand wheel 188 the compression of the spring 185 may be varied with corresponding variation in the pressure with which the mandrel-110 is forced to the left. When the mandrel hub 111 is closed upon the blanks B the mandrel shaft 112' moves slightly to the right within its bearing, and this movement is cushioned by the spring 185. The spring 185 also provides an adjustment for differences in the diameter of the rolls when the rolls are re? turned from time to time.

In order to avoid marring the blanks when the blanks are'placed upon the receiving rods 160, and also to avoid marring the finished discs when the discsare removed from the machine, I- provide guide rolls 190 mounted on pins 191 which are loosely carried in bearings formed on the inner walls of the housingsections 19 and 20, as shown in Figs.

2, 3 and 12.

When the machine described above to be operated to roll discs from circular blanks, the blanks are heated in a suitable tation of'the cam shaft 54 in a,counter-.

clockwise direction, Fig. 4, brings the enlarged portion of the cam into contact with the roller 52 and thus rocks the bearing block 40 of the roll 16 around the pivotshaft 45 thus moving the roll 16 in a substantially straight line toward the roll .15

' untilthe blank is gripped between the rolls.

This movement is communicated through the pin 98 to the sliding housing section 20, and thehousing is thus closed around the blank and the-mandrel 110 is caused to pass through the central opening in the blank. Thereupon the cam 57 operates to withdraw the rods 160 from beneath the blank, leaving the blank free to increase in diameter as the rolling operation proceeds. As soon as the,

, housing is closed around the blank the suction means connected to the outlet 147 operates to exhaust the air from the interior of the housing. The flames of the burners 104 help to remove oxygen from within the housing and a reducing atmosphere is quickly established therein, which prevents,

or at least greatl reduces, the formation of ter portion of the disc wouldpermit the center portion to be distortedby the rolling forces. The cooling p 111 and 115 also contributes to keep the fed gradually toward the roll 15. Between names, as in the embodiment describe of. the mandrel hubs] center portion of the disc gfirom overheating.

The cam 53 is formed wlt-h a continuously increasing radius forming a spiral curve fromthe point A to about the point C, Fig. '13, and while this portion of the cam is in contact with the roller 52 the roll 16 is the point C and the point D the periphery of the cam is concentric so that the roll 16 pauses at the endof its. feeding movement. Between the points Dand. A the periphery of the ram is formed with a sudden drop E and a sudden rise F separated by a con centric portion (7', so that .when the point D reaches the roller 52 the entiresliding structure, including the housing section 20, the roll 16 and thejbearing block .40, is

permitted to withdraw .to the right, under the influence of the wei ht 97, to the position shown in Fig. 4. fitter a pause while the roller 52 is in contact with the concentric portion G of the earn, the rising portion F again causes the sliding system to move to the left. Between these sliding movements the finished blank is removed from the machine and a fresh blank or pair of blanks is placed upon the rods 160, which meanwhile have been moved by the cam 57 into their blank-receiving position.

above, or by surrounding the metal with 195 non-oxidizing gas, such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide.

'The structural details shown and described herein may be varied in many respects without departing from my invention, the scope of which .is indicated in the appended claims. l

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of working metal that comprises placing a heated metal body in an enclosed space, creating a partial vacuum in said space by suction, to effect removal of scale and the like, and then working said metal. 1 V

2.iThe method of working metal that comprises placing a metal body in an enclosed space, creating a non-oxidizing, atmosphere' within the said space by means of suction in combination with a reducing flame, employing said suction to also remove scale and the like, and working said metal while in said'non-oxidizing atmosphere.

3. Apparatus for working metal comv prising a casing, metal-working elements disposed within said casing, and means comprising a reducing frame and a suction device for producing a non-oxidizing atmosphere Within said casing.

4. Apparatus for working metal comprising a casing, metal-working elements disposed Within said casing, and suction means for exhausting air from said casing.

5. The method 'of working metal that comprises Working a heated metal body in a rarefied non-oxidizing atmosphere.

6. lhe method of Working metal that comprises placing a heated metal body in an enclosed space, producing rarefied nonoxidizing atmospherein the said spade, lieatiiig the said space, and working the said meta ing a non-oxidizing atmosphere within said a casing.

8. Apparatus for Working metal comprising a casing, metal Working elements disposed Within said casing, means for heating said casing, and means for producing a rarefied non-oxidizing atmosphere Within said casing.

In testimony whereof I, the said ARTHUR MARTIN, have hereunto set my hand.

ARTHUR MART IN. 

